Case dumper

ABSTRACT

The contents of an unsealed conventional paperboard case are removed by passing the case along a path of travel with its top uppermost, automatically opening the side flaps by means of guides, passing the case along a generally semicircular path of travel to invert the same, conveying the case in an upwardly slanting path while the articles contained in the case are moved along a generally horizontally extending conveyor and thereafter turning the case 180 degrees to again bring the top uppermost. The unsealed case is squeezed at its sidewalls at points adjacent the top of the case to automatically raise the side flaps and a fixed guide is employed to swing the side flaps to laterally outwardly extending positions so that the subsequent step of emptying the case may be performed by gravity while the case is being moved along the upwardly slanting path. The final step of turning the case is performed by gripping one of the side flaps between adjacent runs of two conveyors and stationary guides are employed to swing the case about the hinged connection between said flap and the body of the case.

United States Patent 1 Rice [4 1 Apr. 24, 1973 CASE DUMPER v [57] ABSTRACT [75] Inventor: Harold B. Rice, Walnut Creek, The contents of an unsealed conventional-paperboard Calif. v case are removed by passing the case along a path of [73] Assignee: John Bum) Machine Corporation travel with its top uppermost, automatically opening Concord Calif the side flaps by means of guides, passing the case along a generally semicircular path of travel to invert [22] Filed: Dec. 2, 1970 App]. No.: 94,403

Primary ExaminerGranville Y. Custer, Jr. Assistant ExaminerNeil Abrams Attorney-Gordon Wood the same, conveying the case in an upwardly slanting path while the articles contained in the case are moved along a generally horizontally extending conveyor and thereafter turning the case 180 degrees to again bring the top uppermost. The unsealed case is squeezed at its sidewalls at points adjacent the top of the case to automatically raise the side flaps and a fixed guide is employed to swing the side flaps to laterally outwardly extending positions so that the subsequent step of emptying the case may be performed by gravity while the case is being moved along the upwardly slanting path. The final step of turning the case is performed by gripping one of the side flaps between adjacent runs of two conveyors and stationary guides are employed to swing the case about the hinged connection between said flap and the body of the case.

7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures Patented April 24, 1973 3,729,108

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 'HAEOLD 5, 2

Patented April 24, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAROLD 5. 5/65 Patented April 24, 1973 3,729,108

3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR. H/ EOLD 5. 5 5

CASE BUMPER This invention relates to a case dumper and is concerned primarily with the operation of removing the contents of a filled case automatically in an effective and inexpensive manner.

In modern bottling plants the desirable procedure is to bring empty bottles into the plant packed in the same paperboard cases in which they are to be subsequently packed after the bottles are filled. For sanitary and other reasons it is preferable to pack the empty bottles inverted in the case with their necks down against the bottom of the case and the cases are normally handled in an unsealed condition but with the flaps partially closed. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for dumping the contents, for example empty bottles, from a case in a speedy and efficient manner so that the bottles may be conveyed to the bottling line while the cases are conveyed to a point at which the filled bottles are inserted into said cases and the cases subsequently sealed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a unique method andapparatus for opening an unsealed case which has its flaps partially closed. Said opening procedure being carried on so as to insure that the end flaps remain closed while the side flaps are opened to a position extending laterally outwardly from the top of the case.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an extremely reliable and economical means for dumping the empty bottles contained in a case and at the same time insuring that no damage to the bottles results.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a case dumping method and apparatus by which cases may be conveyed to the dumping station and thereafter turned to their original position with their tops uppermost and thereafter conveyed to the bottle filling station at which the filled bottles are inserted into the case all without the intervention of an operator.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification'and from the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the case inverter portion of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section through the upper portion of the inverter at the side flap opening mechanism as taken in a plane indicated by lines 2--2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 through the flap spreading guide as taken in a plane indicated by lines 3-3 in-FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is cross section through the case lifting mechanism showing the bottles removed from the case.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the case turner.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the case turner.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the case turner showing the case turning guides cooperating with the cases.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9 A to 9 D are schematic end elevations of the case as it proceeds through the case turner.

In detail and as best seen in FIG. 1 the apparatus of the present invention includes a frame structure generally designated 1 which includes an elongated elevated base 2 on. which a bottle conveyor 3 is supported for movement of the bottles thereon from left to right as seen in FIG. 1. Spaced upwardly from the base 2 is a case conveyor generally designated 5 on which cases 6 are fed to a generally semicircular case inverter generally designated 7. The conveyor 5 preferably slants downwardly toward the inverter 7 and may include rotatably supported rollers 9 to facilitate the movement of the filled cases 6 by gravity toward the inverter 7. It will be understood that no power is required to move the cases until the actual step of emptying the contents is performed.

As seen in FIG. 1 and 2 each case 6 is provided with a pair of side flaps l0, 11 which are hingedly secured to the tops of the longitudinally extending side walls of the case and a pair of end flaps 12 (best seen in FIG. 4) which are hingedly secured to the ends of the cases so that said end flaps may be closed first and then the side flaps l0, l1 folded thereover and combining with the end flaps 12 to form the case top.

By the present invention the side flaps 10, 11 are folded away from the case so that they do not interfere with the removal of the bottles. In this connection it will be understood that the end flaps being smaller than the side flaps do not offer any substantial interference to removal of the contents by gravity. However it will also be understood that the combination of the end flaps and side flaps, if closed, would prevent the removal of the contents by gravity. As long as the side flaps are swung out of the way of the end flaps the latter are readily swung at their hinged connection to a generally vertical position while the contents are being removed.

In order to open the side flaps l0, l1 and swing them away from the case the first step, by the present invention, is to press on the opposite side walls of the case at a point adjacent the top of the latter so that the resiliency of the paperboard material of the case causes the side flaps to swing upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 2. This is accomplished by means of a pair of disks 13 which are carried by bearings 14 which in turn are adjustably fixed on threaded rods 15 depending from frame member 1. The threaded rods 15 may be passed through apertures in flat bars 16 carried by frame member 1 and a pair of locking nuts 17 are provided for fixing the rods 15 against rotation after the position of the disk 13 has been set. As stated above said position of disks 13 can be adjusted for different sized cases so that said disks bear against the side walls of case 6 as shown in FIG. 2. This pinching action on said side walls would cause side flaps l0, ll to spring upwardly to a substantially vertical position which in turn would allow the end flaps 12 also to spring upwardly. In order to prevent upward swinging of end flaps 12 the movement of side flaps l0, 11 is restricted to the predetermined amount indicated in FIG. 2 by means of relatively large disks 20 which are also supported on bearings 14. For convenience the disks 13, 20 may be fixedly secured to bearings 14 by means of bolts 21 so that each pair of large and small disks act as a unit. By limiting the upward swinging of side flaps 10, 11 it will be apparent that the end flaps 12 are held in their normal position substantially coplanar with the top of the case.

While the flaps are held in a position shown in FIG. 2 a fixed central guide 23 is positioned to enter the space between the side flaps 10, 11 and the end flaps 12. The guide 23 may be fixedly secured to a relatively large triangular shaped guide 24 which is secured to frame 1 at points downstream from the guide 23. By reference to FIGS. 2, 3 it will be seen that the guides 23, 24 have the effect of swinging the side flaps 10, 11 about their hinged connections to the case through substantially 180 degrees to the position shown in FIG. 3. Thus by the time the cases reach the inverter 7 the side flaps 10, 11 are laterally outwardly of but coplanar with the top of the case and the end flaps 12 are retained in their normal inner position coplanar with the top of the case thus holding the contents within the case until the inverting step has been performed.

As seen in FIG. 1 the inverter 7 comprises a pair of opposed inner and outer generally semicircular shaped plates 25, 26. As the cases are fed by gravity to their inverted position they are disposed over bottle conveyor 3 and are engaged by a case raising apparatus generally designated 28. Said case raising apparatus is not described herein as the same is conventional and does not form any part of the present invention except in combination with the other apparatus herein described. However the case raiser 28 essentially comprises a pair of opposed resilient belts 29 (FIG. 4) which are supported for movement along an upwardly and forwardly directed path of travel as best seen in FIG. 1. The effect of case raiser 28 is to maintain the cases 6 in their original position relative to conveyor 3 but at the same time elevate said cases as shown in FIG. 1. As the cases are elevated the contents such as bottles 30 remain on the conveyor 3 and they are not disturbed by the cases 6 since the movement of the cases relative to the bottles is in an exactly vertical direction. As noted above the end flaps 12 having practically no resistance to opening are swung to a vertical position as shown in FIG. 4 by the weight of the bottles 30 or whatever other contents are contained in the case.

During movement of the cases along the case raiser 28 guides 32 on opposite sides of conveyor 3 engage the flaps 10, 11 and hold them away from the case so as to prevent any interference with the dropping of the bottles on a conveyor 3 (FIG. 4). As seen in FIG. 1 after the bottles 30 have been deposited on the conveyor 3 the side flaps l0, 11 may be released.

After the bottles 30 have been effectively deposited on conveyor 3 it will be apparent that any convenient apparatus such as a chute may be employed to convey the empty cases 6 away from the conveyor 3. However since said empty cases are to be ultimately taken to the case filling station it is preferable to place them on a conveyor for this purpose with their tops uppermost so that the step of filling the cases with the filled bottles may be performed automatically. To this end there is provided a case turning apparatus generally designated 35 in FIG. 1 and shown in greater detail in FIGS. and 6.

The case turner comprises a pair of elongated channel members 37, 38 which are fixedly secured as by welding to a base plate 39 and which may be supported above the bottle conveyor 3 by suitable supports indicated at 40. At the opposite ends of channel 37 sheaves 42, 43 are rotatably supported and a V-belt 44 is reeved around said sheaves. In like manner sheaves 46, 47 are rotatably supported at opposite ends of channel 38 and a V-belt 48 is reeved about said sheaves so that the inner runs of belts 44, 48 are in engagement with each other as best seen in FIG. 5. In order to hold said inner runs in engagement a plurality of idlers 50 are provided on channel 37 and simllarily a plurality to idlers 51 are provided on channel 38. By this arrangement it will be apparent that the flap 11 of each case 6 may be directed into the bight between the inner runs of conveyor belts 44, 48 so that the flap 11 is gripped along its entire length at a point adjacent the outer free end of said flap. The belts 44, 48 are preferably driven faster than the case raiser 28 so that the cases become spaced apart as shown In FIG. 7.

As seen in FIG. 5 the case turner is horizontally disposed but at an angle to the conveyor 3 and to the conveyor 54 which is positioned at the downstream end of the case turner for receiving the turned cases.

The conveyor belt 44 is driven from a pulley 55 on a shaft 56 passing through and rotatably supported in the webs of channels 37, 38 and driven from a belt drive 57 from a speed reducer generally designated 58. Idler sheaves 59, 60 also rotatably supported on channel 37 connect the V-belt 44 with the drive pulley 55. In a similar manner conveyor belt 48 is driven from a pulley 62 and a pair of Idler sheaves 63, 64.

The means for turning the cases 6 is not shown in FIG. 5, 6 for clarity. However said means is shown in the schematic FIGS. 7, 8, 9. By means of two elongated guides 67, 68 suitably supported on the adjacent frame structure it is seen from said FIGS. 7, 8, 9 that each case is swung about the flap 11 that is gripped by the belts 44, 48. As the case is raised to the position as shown in FIG. 9 B, and as its center of gravity reaches the gripped flap 11 the guide 67 may be discontinued so that the guide 6 which engages the side wall of the case adjacent the gripped flap 11 takes the relatively light load of the case and insures that it swings about the hinged connection with the flap 11 to and past the position of FIG. 9 D at which point the bottom of the case rests on the take away conveyor 54 (FIG. 5). Any straightening required by the case after it arrives on the discharged conveyor 54 may be done by guides (not shown) alongside the conveyor 54. From conveyor 54 it is a simple matter to convey the empty cases by known means to the point at which the filled bottles are inserted in the cases.

The very specific description given above of the preferred form of the invention should not be taken as restrictive as it will be apparent that various modifications in design may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of opening a generally rectangular filled case having a bottom, a pair of opposed sidewalls, a pair ofopposed end walls, and side flaps and end flaps in continuation of said side walls and end walls respectively and forming the top of said case with said end flaps interposed between said side flaps and the contents of said case, the steps of:

moving said case along a path of travel parallel to said side walls with said top uppermost,

exerting oppositely inwardly directed forces on said side walls at points adjacent said top during said movement for springing said side flaps away from said top,

holding said side flaps in positions spaced from said top and at an acute angle relative thereto until said forces have been removed, and thereafter swinging said side flaps oppositely outwardly to positions outwardly of said side walls while simultaneously holding said end flaps doWn against said contents, and thereafter inverting said case with the contents held therein by said end flaps.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said end flaps are held downwardly against said contents after said forces have been removed and while said side flaps are being swung outwardly through an obtuse vangle relative to said top.

3. An opening device for a generally rectangular case having a bottom, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls, and side flaps and end flaps in continuation of said side walls and end walls respectively and forming the top for said case:

means for conveying said case along a path of travel parallel to said side walls with its top up,

A means engaging said side walls at points adjacent said top and exerting opposed inwardly directed forces as said case moves along said path, whereby said side flaps are sprung upwardly from said top to inclined positions relative to said top,

means in said path entering the space between said top and said side flaps for Swinging said side flaps oppositely outwardly to positions outwardly of said side walls,

means for holding said end flaps down against the contents of said case while said side flaps are being swung outwardly, and

means for inverting said case with said end flaps held against said contents.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said means for exerting said opposed forces are a pair of disks rotatably supported for peripheral rolling engagement with said walls respectively adjacent said top, and

wherein a pair of relatively larger disks are mounted for rotation at points spaced upwardly from said first mentioned pair for engaging the upper surfaces of said side flaps to prevent upward swinging of the latter beyond a predetermined position whereby said side flaps hold said end flaps down.

5. A device according to claim 3 including means forming a substantiallY semicircular path of travel in continuation of said first mentioned path of travel for inverting said case while said end flaps are held against said top.

6. In a case dumper for removing the articles contained in such case:

means for moving open cases along a first elevated path of travel in one direction,

means in said path for opening the side flaps at the top of said cases, and swinging said flaps opposite ly outwardly to positions substantially coplanar with the tops of said cases,

means forming a generally semicircular path of travel for inverting said cases while said side flaps are open,

means for moving said cases along a straight upwardly slanting path of travel in a direction opposite to said elevated path of travel,

means for receiving said articles by gravity as said cases are moved upwardly, and means for turning said inverted case about an axis longitudinally of said slanting path of travel after said articles have been removed therefrom.

7. A case dumper according to claim 6 wherein said first path of travel slants downwardly toward said invertlng means to permit said cases to be conveyed by gravity to said inverted position. 

1. In the method of opening a generally rectangular filled case having a bottom, a pair of opposed sidewalls, a pair of opposed end walls, and side flaps and end flaps in continuation of said side walls and end walls respectively and forming the top of said case with said end flaps interposed between said side flaps and the contents of said case, the steps of: moving said case along a path of travel parallel to said side walls with said top uppermost, exerting oppositely inwardly directed forces on said side walls at points adjacent said top during said movement for springing said side flaps away from said top, holding said side flaps in positions spaced from said top and at an acute angle relative thereto until said forces have been removed, and thereafter swinging said side flaps oppositely outwardly to positions outwardly of said side walls while simultaneously holding said end flaps doWn against said contents, and thereafter inverting said case with the contents held therein by said end flaps.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said end flaps are held downwardly against said contents after said forces have been removed and while said side flaps are being swung outwardly through an obtuse angle relative to said top.
 3. An opening device for a generally rectangular case having a bottom, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed end walls, and side flaps and end flaps in continuation of said side walls and end walls respectively and forming the top for said case: means for conveying said case along a path of trAvel parallel to said side walls with its top up, means engaging said side walls at points adjacent said top and exerting opposed inwardly directed forces as said case moves along said path, whereby said side flaps are sprung upwardly from said top to inclined positions relative to said top, means in said path entering the space between said top and said side flaps for Swinging said side flaps oppositely outwardly to positions outwardly of said side walls, means for holding said end flaps down against the contents of said case while said side flaps are being swung outwardly, and means for inverting said case with said end flaps held against said contents.
 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said means for exerting said opposed forces are a pair of disks rotatably supported for peripheral rolling engagement with said walls respectively adjacent said top, and wherein a pair of relatively larger disks are mounted for rotation at points spaced upwardly from said first mentioned pair for engaging the upper surfaces of said side flaps to prevent upward swinging of the latter beyond a predetermined position whereby said side flaps hold said end flaps down.
 5. A device according to claim 3 including means forming a substantiallY semicircular path of travel in continuation of said first mentioned path of travel for inverting said case while said end flaps are held against said top.
 6. In a case dumper for removing the articles contained in such case: means for moving open cases along a first elevated path of travel in one direction, means in said path for opening the side flaps at the top of said cases, and swinging said flaps oppositely outwardly to positions substantially coplanar with the tops of said cases, means forming a generally semicircular path of travel for inverting said cases while said side flaps are open, means for moving said cases along a straight upwardly slanting path of travel in a direction opposite to said elevated path of travel, means for receiving said articles by gravity as said cases are moved upwardly, and means for turning said inverted case about an axis longitudinally of said slanting path of travel after said articles have been removed therefrom.
 7. A case dumper according to claim 6 wherein said first path of travel slants downwardly toward said invertIng means to permit said cases to be conveyed by gravity to said inverted position. 